Fifth Times The Charm
by Kenna Monster
Summary: Setsuna often refused help from his teammates. Good thing none of them were very good at listening.
1. Nightmare

**[AN : In my version Neal never dies and there's no ELS...enjoy!]**

The young boy was sullen and quiet, no matter how much the other members of Celestial Being attempted to bond with him. Sumeragi kept telling them to be patient, that it would take time. After all he'd been through it only made sense that he didn't feel like talking.

Maybe it was the fact that he'd witnessed horrible acts of violence as a child soldier. That he'd murdered his own parents while following the "divine" leadership of the mercenary Ali al-Saachez. Or it could've been the three years he spent in a hellish refugee camp before the program Veda alerted the team that he was the fourth Gundam Meister. Either way, it was assumed when they brought a fourteen year old Setsuna on board the Ptolemy that they were all in for an interesting adventure.

Tieria put up the most fight. He argued till he was red in the face, refusing to believe that Veda would ever allow a damaged teenager to pilot such an important piece of machinery. Allelujah had his own reservations, but Lockon was the only one who genuinely didn't mind the age gap. As the oldest at twenty-one he knew the dangers of war. He also knew the struggles of working on a team. It was hard enough taking Allelujah and Tieria seriously and they were eighteen and nineteen. But finally he and Sumeragi were able to convince the others to let Setsuna prove himself.

So he trained. Rain or shine, for longer hours than any of them thought necessary, without any rest or breaks. At first Lockon figured it was just the kid's way of dealing with all the stress of getting used to a new life and team. Everyone coped with their pasts differently. Tieria spent countless hours with Veda. Allelujah worked out. Sumeragi drank. Lockon did target practice. And Setsuna, if he wasn't training, was asleep in his room.

It wasn't until a few weeks later that Lockon finally discovered just how well his newest teammate wasn't coping.

The hallway was empty, everyone asleep who wasn't on active duty. Lockon drifted along, content. He hated being rushed around. He'd spent longer time on the range than normal, but no one minded. He was their best shot.

As he passed Setsuna's room, his mind completely elsewhere, he was rudely jerked back to the present by a faint cry. Swinging his legs forward to stop his momentum in the ship's low gravity, Lockon turned and approached the door cautiously.

They knew very little about their youngest member, only what Veda had supplied. He was a product of war and would never know peace. But everyone knew there was more to him then that. It was just hard getting to know him when he had such a strong wall put up all the time.

"Setsuna?" Lockon asked as he gently opened the door, peeking into the semi-dark room. The lamp on the desk was on, offering the only light. Lockon landed, walking towards the bed to find Setsuna curled up on his side, gripped tightly in a dream.

"Hey, Setsuna, wake up," Lockon said, reaching out and gently shaking the younger teen's shoulder.

"No," Setsuna groaned. Then he whimpered and oh god Lockon hated that sound. Normally the kid was so sure of himself and his mission. To see him scared tore at the older pilot in a way he'd never known possible.

"Hey, come on, it's Lockon," he continued, shaking a bit harder. "You gotta wake up."

Setsuna sprang upward, a look of complete terror on his face. His eyes wide, he scanned the room for danger before Lockon's voice finally filtered through to him.

"...suna, calm down! It was just a dream!"

"Lockon?" Setsuna asked, brain struggling to comprehend where he was. "What happened?"

"You were having a nightmare," he explained, relinquishing his hold on the teen and stepping back.

Setsuna looked shocked for a brief second before the hard facade came back up, blocking him from the rest of the world. "Oh."

"You wanna talk about it?" Lockon asked, watching him.

"No, I'm alright," Setsuna replied. After a few moments of silence he added, "Good night."

Lockon sighed, turning and leaving. As he floated down the hallway to his room he wondered what had scared the kid so much. He never spoke of what he'd witnessed during the war, though it was easy to tell he was obviously haunted. But if he wasn't going to ask for help that was his choice.


	2. Virus

**[AN : I love the relationship between the crew! Hope everyone enjoys]**

"Sumeragi wanted me to tell you to stop training and get some rest," Lockon said as he approached Setsuna. The teen had been helping with the calibrations to the Exia, then while everyone else went to get dinner he began training. Normally Lockon would be impressed, but he'd noticed the kid's lack of appetite over the past few days and his relentless attempt at perfection in the flight simulations. Something was definitely going on. And with their first armed intervention looming, that was the last thing they needed.

"I'm fine," Setsuna replied, refusing to look at the older pilot.

"Yah, sure you are," Lockon scoffed. "The plan won't work if you're dead on your feet. You need sleep."

"I'll be alright,"Setsuna said as he grabbed the simulation control and began preparing for his fourth attempt.

Lockon grabbed the control. "As your leader I'm ordering you to go to bed."

Setsuna looked up at him, tan skin seeming paler than usual. Or maybe it was just the light, also ringing his eyes with dark smudges.

"Bed. Now," Lockon said, refusing to give him an inch. He knew the kid would argue, maybe threaten, but he needed someone to take care of him. Whether he admitted it or not.

Setsuna turned and left the room without a backwards glance. Once the door swung shut Lockon smiled to himself, amazed it had worked.

In the morning however he wondered if he'd been wrong. Setsuna was definitely paler and as they listened to Sumeragi's prediction for their upcoming fight Lockon couldn't help glancing at the younger pilot in concern.

"Alright let's get started," Sumeragi said. Tieria and Allelujah left the room, Setsuna following. Lockon hesitated.

"I'm worried about Setsuna," he said, looking at Sumeragi.

She sighed. "Do you think he can handle the mission?"

"I think he'll do whatever he's asked, but that's not the point. He's exhausted. And he won't take care of himself unless someone forces him to."

Sumeragi looked at Lockon. "Are you suggesting we pull him from the mission?"

"It's up to you," Lockon said, shaking his head as he left the room. Of course Sumeragi was worried about the mission. But heading towards their first fight with a pilot who obviously wasn't at the top of his game seemed ludicrous.

When he entered the main hangar bay Lockon was surprised to find Setsuna waiting for him.

"I'm fine," he said, glaring up at the older pilot. "I can handle this."

"You sure?" Lockon asked.

Setsuna didn't reply, rather turning and going to the Exia.

"He's mad, he's mad!" Haro exclaimed, bouncing over.

"Yah, I guess he is," Lockon said, grabbing Haro and climbing into the Dynames. As he belted himself in and prepared for take off he couldn't shake the worry that clung to him. Something was going on, and if Setsuna really wasn't in the best condition then he wasn't the best option for the lead gundam in their upcoming fight.

"Dynames, lifting off!" Mileina said as the countdown flashed in front of him. Lockon pressed the ignition and was slammed back into his seat as his gundam blasted out of the bay door and into the sky.

"Lockon, preparing for stage one," he said as he flew towards his destination, quickly landing and laying back against the hillside to give him more leverage as he aimed his rifle upwards toward the African tower.

"Allelujah preparing for stage one."

"Tieria preparing for stage one."

"Setsuna preparing for stage one."

The distant sound of gunfire and explosions alerted Lockon to the start of their first armed intervention.

"The world will learn of Celestial Being and her gundam Meisters," he said, watching through the scope as Setsuna flew towards the tower with mobile suits quickly following.

"Lockon, ready to fire!"

* * *

"That went better than expected," Allelujah said as they climbed out of their gundams, the Ptolemy heading to space in order to avoid any retaliation for their actions.

"You sound surprised," Tieria said.

Allelujah shrugged. "Anything could've gone wrong."

Lockon ignored their conversation, focusing rather on Setsuna as he used the cable to slowly winch down from his cockpit. It was obvious he wasn't feeling well, his movements sluggish as he pulled his helmet off. His face was flushed and sweat made his hair cling to his forehead in dark wisps.

"Are you okay?" Lockon asked, walking over.

"I'm fine," Setsuna lied, brushing past him before the older pilot had a chance to take a really good look at him. Because honestly he felt like crap. His head was pounding, his hands wouldn't stop shaking and walking took more effort than it should. Once he was clear of the hangar and the knowing eyes of his teammates, Setsuna slumped against the hallway wall, struggling to catch his breath. As he stubbornly forced himself to keep walking to his room he hoped some sleep would help.

When Setsuna awoke a few hours later he barely made it to his bathroom before vomiting into the toilet. After a few minutes of purging he sat back, closing his eyes and willing his stomach to calm down. This was getting old. For the past few days he'd been woken by nausea and vomiting, only to force himself to go through the usual steps in an attempt to make sure no one else noticed how sick he really was.

Because then Sumeragi would fuss. So would Feldt, Linda and Mileina. Ian and Lasse would keep him out of the hangar. Lockon would drag him to the med bay then Allelujah would force him to stay. The doctors would poke and prod. Tieria would stand there watching impassively. Everyone would worry.

Once the room stopped spinning he slowly stood up and rinsed out his mouth before returning to bed. He huddled under the blankets, and as he drifted to sleep he wondered when was the last time he'd gotten sick. He couldn't remember.

* * *

The next three days were much the same. Wake up, vomit, skip breakfast, train. Avoid the others as much as possible. Lie if necessary. Setsuna knew he wasn't fooling anyone, but as long as they left him alone he wouldn't complain about the sideways glances, the conversations stopping once he entered a room. He hadn't joined Celestial Being to make friends.

Everything was going according to plan until the seventh morning when Setsuna was so weak he barely made it to the toilet. Afterwards he laid curled up on the floor, stomach cramping. He hadn't even thrown up anything, just water. There was nothing left in his system.

A pounding on the door jerked him out of his half-sleep daze.

"Setsuna, come on you're gonna be late for training," Lockon called.

Setsuna groaned. The room was spinning in lazy circles around him and he doubted his ability to even crawl out of the bathroom.

"Setsuna?" Allelujah asked. Just what he needed, all of his teammates worrying about him.

"Go away," Setsuna croaked.

"Open the door," Lockon said. "If you don't we're coming in."

Setsuna tried to sit up but the world tilted and black spots danced in his vision so he laid back down. He heard his door open then the light flick on.

"Setsuna?" Lockon asked, crouching beside him. "What's going on?"

"Mm sick," Setsuna replied weakly. Lockon sighed.

"Lets get you to med bay, have the doctors take a look at you. Think you can stand?"

"No," Setsuna moaned. The thought of moving seemed too daunting.

"Hey buddy, you still with us?" Lockon asked, shaking his shoulder. Setsuna tried to respond but he was too tired. He just wanted to lie there forever.

"Come on, we've got you," Allelujah said as he and Lockon pulled Setsuna to his feet. His knees buckled but Lockon was there, easily scooping him up in his arms.

Setsuna wasn't sure where they were going or why Allelujah was shouting. Or why he was floating. All he wanted was sleep. But someone shone a light in each of his eyes, and the loud sounds of machines and urgent voices kept him from fully slipping into unconsciousness.

"He's extremely dehydrated...pulse is thready...

"Low blood pressure...going into shock..."

There was a sharp prick in the crook of his elbow, then the sensation of something cool sliding into his arm. A mask was placed on his face, making breathing a little easier.

"...time to heal..."

"...sick for a while..."

"...know more...wakes up..."

Someone brushed the hair back from his forehead and Setsuna relaxed into the touch, slowly falling deeper into the darkness.

* * *

The next time he awoke everything around him was hazy and out of focus. The lights were dimmed, the only illumination coming from a small lamp on the bedside table. Setsuna glanced around, surprised to see Allelujah curled up asleep on the bed next to him and Lockon stretched out in a nearby chair reading.

"Lockon?" Setsuna croaked, voice dry and scratchy.

Lockon jerked upright, smiling at him in relief. "I'm glad to see you're awake! You had us worried!"

"What happened?"

"You had a virus, and rather than resting and getting well you pushed yourself too far. But you're doing a lot better now," Lockon replied, leaning forward.

Setsuna looked up at the ceiling, trying to process through the jumbled memories and confusion.

"You should get some more sleep," Lockon suggested. "I'll stay with you."

Setsuna looked at him, thoroughly shocked. He didn't want to admit it, but being taken care of was not as bad as it seemed. If that's how it felt to be part of a family then he liked it.

"Okay," he sighed, closing his eyes. The last thing he heard before drifting to sleep was Lockon's faint chuckle.


	3. Bullet Wound

**[AN : Onward and upward!]**

"Soran Ibrahim, it'll be pleasure to kill you myself," Ali al-Saachez said, raising his gun and pointing it at Setsuna.

"I'm not the child you knew all those years ago," Setsuna said, aiming his own weapon at the man standing before him. "I'm not your soldier anymore."

Ali laughed. "You never were."

Two shots rang out.

* * *

"Any word from Setsuna?" Lockon asked. After a brief skirmish with enemy forces, the Ptolemy and three of her gundams had retreated to the safe zone. The Exia was the only one missing.

"Nothing," Tieria replied, still scanning the area as he, Lockon and Allelujah went on yet another search.

"It's been two days, where the hell could he be?" Allelujah asked.

"I'm picking up an SOS signal, fifty meters ahead," Tieria said. Theyflew forward, spotting the Exia barely concealed among some trees. The Dynames, Seraphim and Arios landed, the three pilots using their cables to reach the ground.

"Setsuna!" Lockon shouted, looking around. There was no sign of the young pilot.

"This is weird," Allelujah said.

Tieria glanced at the trees. "He has to be here somewhere."

"Took you guys long enough," Setsuna said as he walked out from behind the feet of the Exia.

"Setsuna?" Lockon asked, taking a few steps forward. There was something in the way Setsuna was standing, the way he was holding his left arm, that made the older pilot stop in his tracks.

"What are you doing here? Why didn't you try to return to the Ptolemy?" Tieria demanded.

"Hard to pilot...when you've been shot," Setsuna replied. The others didn't even have a chance to realize what he meant as he collapsed.

"Setsuna!" Lockon shouted as he ran forward, falling to his knees beside the younger pilot. The kid's left arm and shoulder were soaked in blood, and dark rings circled his eyes.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Tieria said, kneeling beside Lockon. "We need to get him back to the Ptolemy."

"I've got him, you two get the Exia," Lockon said as he scooped Setsuna up into his arms and began walking back to the Dynames. He was much lighter than Lockon had expected. But considering what they'd been through in the past few months it wasn't much of a surprise that Setsuna was more focused on ending conflict than taking care of himself.

"You stubborn fool," Lockon murmured as the cable lifted them into the cockpit. He gently set Setsuna down in the rear passenger seat directly behind him and belted him in. The last thing he needed was the kid coming to while they were flying.

As soon as Allelujah and Tieria were back in their gundams and had each grabbed one of Exia's arms they lifted off, heading back to the ship.

Of course Sumeragi was pissed when they landed in Ptolemy's main bay, but her anger quickly changed to worry when she saw Lockon and Allelujah supporting an unconscious, blood covered Setsuna.

"What happened?" She demanded as they hurried down the hall to the infirmary.

"He didn't have a chance to tell us," Allelujah replied. Sumeragi and Tieria pushed open the door and they deposited Setsuna on a gurney as the med staff rushed around.

"How bad is it?" Sumeragi asked, looking at the lead doctor.

"I won't know for sure until I've had a chance to examine him. I can tell you he won't be piloting for a while," the doctor said. Sumeragi nodded before turning and leaving the room, Allelujah, Lockon and Tieria following her.

"Allelujah, you stay with him. Let me know the instant he's awake. Tieria and Lockon will be on standby with their gundams as we prepare for our second strike," Sumeragi ordered. Allelujah watched as the others walked away before going back into the infirmary. He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. The doctors and nurses were still examining Setsuna. They'd removed his shirt and it only made him look more vulnerable.

"Thankfully the bullet hit his shoulder. A couple inches to the right and he'd be gone," the doctor said to Allelujah as the nurses wheeled Setsuna into the cell regeneration chamber.

"Think he'll be okay?" Allelujah asked.

The doctor sighed. "We'll let the chamber do it's job and evaluate him afterwards."

Allelujah prepared himself for a long night.

* * *

He wasn't sure what awoke him, but as Allelujah sat up he cursed himself for falling asleep. He was supposed to be watching over Setsuna not dozing off.

A faint whimper sounded from across the room and in an instant Allelujah was on his feet and walking over to the cell regeneration chamber. He was surprised to see Setsuna stirring, pressing against the glass panel above him weakly with his uninjured arm.

"Hey, take it easy," Allelujah said as he pressed a button and the panel slid back. Setsuna struggled upright, gripping his shoulder in pain.

"How you feeling?"

"Lousy," Setsuna replied. He glanced around the empty room. "Where's everyone?"

"It's late, most people are in bed," Allelujah said.

Setsuna looked up at him. "Why are you here?"

Allelujah laughed. "We just saved your life. The least you can do is say thanks."

Setsuna looked away.

"You think you're feeling up to sleeping in your own bed?" Allelujah asked.

"Yes. I mean, maybe...I don't know," Setsuna answered. Allelujah took in his tired eyes, his pale face, and knew he wasn't going to be able to stay awake much longer. But it seemed counter productive to make them both sleep in the infirmary, especially since Setsuna was most likely not going to stay unless bolted down.

Allelujah sighed. "Come on."

"What are we doing?" Setsuna asked as the two of them went down the hall, Allelujah's arm wrapped around his waist to keep him upright.

"Sumeragi told me to stay with you," Allelujah replied, pushing open his bedroom door. "That doesn't mean I'm not getting some sleep. And I know you, I know you won't stay in there without me. It's a good thing I have a spare bed."

Setsuna was preparing to argue when Allelujah helped him sit down on the bed and he nearly laid down right then and there. His body was screaming at him to rest, his shoulder a dull ache. The chamber had done its job but it wasn't an instant miracle worker. It would take time for him to fully heal.

"Here, let me help," Allelujah said, kneeling down and pulling Setsuna's boots off. He set them on the floor next to the bed then grabbed a spare blanket.

"It helps if you lie down," he suggested. Setsuna complied in silence, a small sigh of contentment escaping his lips when his head hit the pillow. Allelujah covered him with the blanket then turned off the light, climbing into his own bed.

"Allelujah?"

"Yah?"

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now get some rest."

Setsuna burrowed deeper under the blanket, allowing himself to relax. He drifted to sleep in a strange bed, covered with his teammate's blanket.

The next day Setsuna awoke slowly to find Allelujah lounging on his bed drawing. Setsuna laid there watching him for a few moments before the realization hit him that for the first time in years he hadn't dreamt of his parents.


	4. Quantum waves

**[AN : Another chapter for all my favorite readers!] **

"He's been exposed to more GN particles from the 0 raiser than the rest of us. Plus his ability to use the trans am system in the field without any training or prior knowledge shows how much he's truly evolved," Allelujah said. He and Sumeragi stood in the observation deck overlooking the hangar bay and the four gundams which stood ready to face Ribbons and his innovators.

"Evolved?" Sumeragi asked.

"He's becoming an innovator. But unlike Ribbons and the others who evolved through their connection with Veda, Setsuna is changing into a being even higher than them," Tieria explained.

"A true innovator," Sumeragi murmured, lost in her thoughts.

"Even Veda is unable to predict how he will affect the future," added Tieria. "All we can do is prepare and hope the outcome is in our favor."

* * *

Allelujah, Tieria, Lockon and Setsuna prepared to face the innovators, their four gundams floating in space outside the Ptolemy as Ribbons and his followers neared.

"Everyone ready?" Lockon asked. It was their first official fight against their new opponents, and no one was exactly sure how it might play out. Sumeragi had made countless predictions but in the end she'd retreated to her room with numerous bottles tucked under her arm while the four pilots deployed.

"Let's do this," said Setsuna, flying towards Ribbons. As he approached he felt a stabbing pain in his head, like being hit with a stray bolt of lightning.

"What was that?" Allelujah growled, his voice deepening into Hallelujah's.

"They must be using quantum brain waves," replied Tieria, the realization hitting him a split second later. "Setsuna, wait!"

The younger pilot was a ten feet in front of the others when suddenly he was hit with another attack, his head feeling like it was being burst apart by shards of glass. Everything became disjointed as he grabbed his head between his hands and screamed, the pain becoming unbearable.

He was vaguely aware of people calling his name amidst the faint sounds of gunfire and crashes around him. But he couldn't unfurl himself from the small ball he had curled up into, couldn't lower his hands, couldn't breathe. All he could do was scream as the agony built inside his skull until it was too much. He gladly welcomed darkness as the Exia was jerked backwards.

* * *

"We barely made it out of there," Lockon grumbled, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned back against the wall. He stood in the hallway outside the med bay with Tieria and Allelujah, the three pilots waiting for word on Setsuna.

"We were lucky," Allelujah agreed. "If the Ptolemy hadn't caused a diversion we'd all be lying in there."

"I still don't understand what happened. Those freaks used some kind of mental attack against us?" Lockon inquired.

"All innovators are able to use quantum brain waves while they communicate telepathically, as well as those of us who've connected with Veda," Tieria explained.

"So why'd it affect Setsuna worse than us? I had a nasty migraine but nothing compared to him," said Allelujah.

Tieria sighed, closing his eyes. "Setsuna's mental capability is higher than any of ours, mine included. The quantums disrupt his brain waves. It'll be a miracle if he ever wakes up again."

Lockon and Allelujah watched as Tieria turned and walked away, one arm in a sling. None of them had escaped unscathed, but Setsuna's condition was definitely worst.

At that moment the med bay door opened and Sumeragi walked out. She looked surprised to see Lockon and Allelujah waiting, then smiled faintly.

"You can go see him if you'd like," she said.

"How is he?" Lockon asked.

Sumeragi paused. "The brain damage Setsuna received is unlike any Linda's ever seen. She's doing everything she can but at this point all we can do is wait," she replied sadly.

"We'll stay with him," volunteered Allelujah, limping forward into the room. Lockon glanced at Sumeragi before following.

They were surprised to find the med bay completely in disarray. Everything had been shoved haphazardly out of the way to clear room for the regeneration chamber which stood in the center. Setsuna lay in it, electrodes on his forehead, temples, neck and chest. Dressed only in a pair of loose sweatpants he looked younger than Lockon had ever seen, his lungs weakly inflating and deflating due to the tube down his throat.

"He looks much worse than he actually is," warned Linda as they stepped closer.

"How long do you think it'll be before he wakes up?" Allelujah asked, still clinging to hope that their friend might still awake.

Linda smiled sadly at them, placing her hand on Lockon's shoulder. "We don't know if he ever will."

After she left the room Lockon pressed his hand against the cold glass of the chamber, staring down at Setsuna. "We'll stay with you don't worry. You just get better."

Over the next few days Lockon devised a plan to assure Setsuna was never alone. At first Tieria had argued it was pointless until Lockon grabbed him by the front of his shirt and held him against the wall, promising Setsuna would do the same for him.

The others helped too; Linda, Ian, Mileina, Feldt, Lasse, Sumeragi, Lockon, Allelujah and Tieria took turns sitting with him day and night, vowing to never leave him alone until he awoke. It didn't matter if everyone didn't believe Setsuna would get better. They still agreed to be there for him no matter how long it took. He deserved that much.

In the end it was Lockon who was there when Setsuna finally came back to the land of the living, coughing weakly as he gagged on the ventilation tube.

"Just relax, I'll go get Linda!" Lockon exclaimed, hurrying from the room. They returned a few seconds later and after the tube was carefully removed Setsuna had to oblige her with a cursory examination.

"I can't believe these results," she said, staring at him. "You're awake, your vitals are improving and as far as I can tell there isn't any lasting brain damage."

"That's good," Setsuna grunted as he struggled to sit up, slowly rising to his feet.

"Whoa, not so fast!" Lockon warned, rushing to his side to help ease him back down onto the bed as he swayed dangerously. "You're still in pretty rough shape, let the doc take care of you."

Setsuna looked at his shaking hands, fighting to still them. He clenched them into fists, resting them in his lap.

"I've run enough tests for today, you should get some sleep and we'll see how you're doing in the morning," Linda suggested, gently patting his back before she left the room.

Lockon watched his friend for a few moments, the two of them silent. Whatever thoughts were swirling through the kid's head were obviously heavy enough to force him to attempt to escape the med bay way before he was ready. Probably just his intense fear of confinement and illness, but Lockon was positive he hadn't waited a week for Setsuna to wake up only to have him retreat back into himself.

"Come on, I'll help you," he said, reaching out and taking Setsuna's arm. He looped it over his shoulder, the two slowly making their way from the med bay and into the hall.

"Where are we going?" Setsuna asked.

"Your room is much more comfortable and conducive for healing," Lockon replied. Setsuna grunted in agreement.

"Alright here you go," Lockon said, gently lowering Setsuna onto his bed. He laid back, closing his eyes as his head found the pillow.

"Better than the chamber?" Lockon asked as he lifted Setsuna's legs onto the bed, tugging the blanket up over them.

"Much," sighed Setsuna. He felt himself sinking into sleep but resisted. He looked up at Lockon. "Thanks for saving my life. I owe you, yet again."

Lockon smiled, sitting down in a nearby chair. "You would've done the same for me. Though I look forward to you returning that favor."

Setsuna nodded, eyes slipping closed. Lockon reached out and placed his hand on his chest and Setsuna allowed himself to relax knowing his friend was there to watch over him.


	5. Battle

**[AN : **

_"I won't let you win!" Setsuna yelled, stabbing his sword forward into Ribbons' cockpit with a ferocity that alarmed even himself. Exia's trans am system lit up the sky in brilliant light as the two machines faced each other. _

_"So...you finally show your true self," Ribbons laughed before coughing, blood splattering into his helmet. "A weapon of war."_

_"Not a weapon," Setsuna growled. "An innovator." _

Setsuna jerked awake, gasping as he sat up and struggled to gain his bearings.

"Whoa, take it easy, everything's okay I'm here," Lockon soothed, grabbing Setsuna's flailing arms and trying to talk the kid down from yet another nightmare. They'd become too frequent since he'd faced the innovators in open combat and nearly died.

Setsuna panted, glancing around the room as his mind fought to understand. "You back with me?" asked Lockon.

"Never left," Setsuna mumbled, rubbing a hand down his face. Lockon sat back, taking their safe phrase as a sign that Setsuna was awake and working to calm down.

None of the others, besides Allelujah and Lasse, knew how bad Setsuna's nightmares had become. And the only reason they even knew was because Lockon had needed their help detaining Setsuna after his first dream had turned ugly, a secret the three of them guarded closely. If anyone else on the team knew of his condition Sumeragi would insist more tests be run until the conclusion that he was mentally unstable and therefore no longer able to pilot the Exia, making him useless to Celestial Being.

Setsuna knew he was crazy. The dreams were haunting; always of him murdering his parents or watching Ali al-Saachez die, or seeing all of the pilots he'd faced in battle beg for mercy before he killed them. They made sleep torturous and unbearable, but Lockon helped.

Because he didn't care how crazy Setsuna was. He was willing to admit that the kid was their best shot at defeating Ribbons. Luckily Allelujah and Lasse agreed, but they couldn't take that risk with the others.

"What was it this time?" Lockon asked as he sat back, watching Setsuna closely.

"Parents again," he lied, looking anywhere but his teammate. The dreams had been going on for the past two weeks as he slowly healed, yet he still felt ashamed to admit he was cursed with seeing all the dead whenever he closed his eyes.

"At least it wasn't anything new," Lockon teased, trying to lighten the mood. Setsuna nodded. He hoped his dream hadn't been a premonition of what was to come between him and Ribbons. Battling the innovators would be hard enough without the added weight of nightmares and sleeplessness.

An alarm suddenly blared before Mileina's voice came over the radio system. "All pilots please report to the hangar bay immediately."

Setsuna looked at Lockon, a pit filling his stomach. Ribbons and the others must've returned so it was time to fight at last.

"Come on let's get going before anyone notices we're lagging," Lockon said, tossing Setsuna his helmet. They'd become roommates after Setsuna's first nightmare and it just worked having the one person on the entire ship who understood you also sharing your room.

As they entered the hangar bay Lockon saw they were the last to arrive. Sumeragi nodded as they joined the others then began her instruction.

"A class 3 vessel is approaching with high signatures of particle engines, so unless our specks have been stolen yet again it's the innovators," she said, looking around at the five pilots. "It's your job to intercept and apprehend if possible, if not then destroy the machines. We can't have the enemy continue using our own technology against us."

"What about the quantum waves?" Tieria asked, glancing sideways at Setsuna.

She smiled. "Ian and Lasse solved that problem a few days ago, we just didn't have a reason to fully test it till now."

"How'd they fix it?" Asked Allelujah.

"High density carbon microfilters surrounding the cockpit block all quantum brain waves and completely protect the pilot," Ian replied as he walked over.

"Alright, everyone load up!" Sumeragi ordered. She and Ian watched as the pilots went to their machines and were hoisted up by the cables, climbing into the cockpits with ease.

"Lets get to the bridge," she said before turning and walking to the door.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Lockon asked over the radio.

"I'll be fine," replied Setsuna, beginning his start up sequence. Soon the five gundams had launched into space and were flying towards the innovator's ship.

"Well if things start getting hairy just let us know," Allelujah said.

"I'm sure if things are about to go badly none of us will have the chance to do anything about it let alone warn the others," scoffed Tieria.

"Ignore him," Lockon said. "Just stay focused and remember we do this as a team."

Setsuna tried to focus on the battle ahead but his thoughts kept turning to his dream and the strange sense of foreboding he'd felt since that morning. He couldn't shake it.

"Alright let's do this!" Allelujah shouted as he dove towards the nearest innovator, their machines clashing together in a shower of sparks. Tieria and Lockon each battled other mobile suits leaving Setsuna to face Ribbons.

"I'm glad to see you return to the field of battle," Ribbons taunted. Setsuna sensed him trying to communicate via quantum brain waves and was overwhelmingly thankful for Ian's genius shielding which protected him.

"Upgraded your suit," Ribbons pouted. "No matter, I'll still beat you. I am an innovator, a higher being. You are nothing."

Setsuna didn't bother replying, instead turning on Exia's trans am system and beginning to circle Ribbons as he searched for a weakness.

"By birth right that suit belongs to me!" Ribbons yelled as he attacked. Setsuna parried the blow and sliced off the suits arm, watching as it slowly spun away from them still holding its sword.

"You'll pay for your insolence," Ribbons growled before attacking, his suit glowing as the trans am system kicked on. The two machines clashed violently, each pilot looking for any weakness to use as an advantage and finding none. They were too evenly matched.

Everything else dropped away. Their teammates, the battle raging around them, the conflicts which had started it all. The only thing that mattered was finding a victor. Setsuna was determined to have it be him as he let himself go, allowing the Exia to completely overpower his very being as they fought Ribbons. Both machines were taking heavy fire. The Exia was barely managing to stay online, half of its body crippled. The other suit was no better.

Then it happened. Ribbons lowered his guard for one split second and Setsuna attacked, stabbing his sword forward into Ribbons' cockpit with a ferocity that alarmed even himself. Exia's trans am system lit up the sky in brilliant light as the two machines faced each other.

"So...you finally show your true self," Ribbons laughed before coughing, blood splattering into his helmet. "A weapon of war."

"Not a weapon," Setsuna replied. "An innovator."

He pulled his sword free and watched as Ribbons' machine exploded. He floated backwards, the force of the explosion sending him adrift in a barely powered machine.

So his dream had been true. He was destined to kill Ribbons all along. Lockon would be proud.

"Setsuna!"

"Setsuna, can you hear us?"

"Just hold on we're coming!"

He could hear his teammates calling for him, knew he should respond, but was surprisingly exhausted. Even the simple task of blinking proved too arduous as his eyes slowly closed. The Exia was heavily damaged, the left side nearly sheared off. But Setsuna didn't mind. He was ready to die, knowing he had saved the world from evil at last. He could rest.

* * *

When Lockon saw the Exia he was sure Setsuna was dead. The left arm and leg were completely gone and no lights flickered on the machine. He just hoped the young pilot fared better. He quickly climbed out of his cockpit, Allelujah holding the Dynames as Lockon sailed through space to the Exia, pressing the emergency hatch release and gasping when he saw inside the cockpit.

Setsuna was unconscious and still strapped to his seat, awkwardly drifting in the zero gravity. Blood covered his left side and arm, and droplets had collected in his helmet from a nasty head wound. But he was still breathing, though it was ragged.

"Get us back to the Ptolemy!" Lockon ordered. Tieria grabbed them in his hands while Allelujah took the Dynames and together the team returned to their home.

* * *

"No news is good news, right?" Allelujah asked as he, Lockon, Tieria, Lasse, Miliena and Feldt waited while Linda examined Setsuna.

"Not this time," Lockon replied grimly. He stared out the window, watching as the ship navigated through the debris trying to leave the battlefield behind.

"We should be thankful he is still alive," Tieria mused. "His suit is damaged beyond repair."

Lasse sighed. "It doesn't feel like we won."

"No it doesn't," Lockon agreed.

At that moment the medical bay door opened and Linda stepped out. She smiled at the crowd waiting in the hall.

"How is he?" Feldt asked.

"He's lucky. The deep lacerations on his arm and side will heal in time, along with the concussion. He's resting but you can go see him," Linda replied.

"Thanks mom," Miliena said before following the others into the med bay. Setsuna was propped up in bed, his side and arm heavily bandaged and another bandage peeking out from under his hair. But otherwise he appeared fine, if a little tired.

"How are you feeling?" Lasse asked as they gathered around his bed.

"Like I was in a battle," Setsuna replied, eliciting some grins from his teammates.

Lockon crossed his arms, glaring at the younger pilot. "Never do anything like that again."

"I promise," Setsuna said, watching Lockon slowly relax. Whatever Ribbons had said about innovators being higher than humans was dismissed as he looked around at his teammates. His family. In his opinion it didn't matter if they were innovators or not, he loved them just the way they were. And he would he lost without them.


End file.
